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When it comes to a major earthquake hitting the U.S., geologists say it's not a matter of if but when. In fact, an earthquake as big as the magnitude 8.8 quake that shook Chile may be overdue in California, which sits on hundreds of faults. Strong infrastructure helped Chile avoid Haiti's devastation, but the destruction of some of its key highways has raised questions about the quality of its transportation arteries and attracted the interest of U.S. planners, who fear that aging bridges and overpasses in the U.S. could suffer the same fate.

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A magnitude-4 earthquake that shook Dallas last week is the latest in a series of cluster quakes that have sprung up in Texas since 2009, and officials want to know what is causing the increased seismic activity. The quakes have been linked to wastewater from hydraulic fracturing operations being pumped into faults, but whether the process of fracking itself is involved is unclear, according to federal geologists. "The deep injection of the wastes is still the principal culprit," said William Ellsworth, a U.S. Geological Survey researcher who co-authored a study on the practice.

An earthquake-resistant design developed by Chilean engineering firm Sirve has been proven to help buildings withstand large quakes, as evidenced by the fact that the 52-story Torre Titanium La Portada tower -- the tallest in Santiago -- remained standing during a severe 2010 earthquake. The seismic protection Sirve used on that tower included shock-absorbing steel dampers on two sides of every third story. Those dampers absorbed about 40% of the ground's movement during the magnitude 8.8 earthquake before returning the building to its original shape. There was no structural damage.

Chile faces an estimated $1.2 billion in repairs following February's magnitude 8.8 earthquake, even though its infrastructure remained largely intact. Forty of 4,000 bridges will require repair or reconstruction, and 70 of 1,700 kilometers of roadway must be fixed. Repairs to tsunami-damaged commercial ports and government buildings will cost extra, the nation's Public Works Ministry said.

Chile faces an estimated $1.2 billion in repairs following February's magnitude 8.8 earthquake, even though its infrastructure remained largely intact. Forty of 4,000 bridges will require repair or reconstruction, and 70 of 1,700 kilometers of roadway must be fixed. Repairs to tsunami-damaged commercial ports and government buildings will cost extra, the nation's Public Works Ministry said.

When it comes to a major earthquake hitting the U.S., geologists say it's not a matter of if but when. In fact, an earthquake as big as the magnitude 8.8 quake that shook Chile on Saturday may be overdue in California, which sits on hundreds of faults. Strong infrastructure helped Chile avoid Haiti's devastation, but the destruction of some of its key highways has raised questions about the quality of its transportation arteries and attracted the interest of U.S. planners, who fear that aging bridges and overpasses in the U.S. could suffer the same fate.